The FBI is treading a thin line with the regulations announced last week designed to combat terrorism. Among other changes, agents will have the power to investigate individuals in places of worship, libraries, chat rooms or organization meetings without having to go through headquarters for permission.
FBI officials claim these changes merely enable agents to do what any other citizen or beat cop can do - go anywhere the public can go for information.
What the general public lacks, however, is the ability to intimidate groups and individuals who are exercising their constitutional rights to freedom of speech, religion and assembly.
Effectively, the guidelines may allow the FBI to spy on regular people.
For some critics, the new guidelines smack of the atmosphere of the 1960s and 1970s. During that era, the FBI, state and local law enforcement agencies kept files on political dissidents who never committed any crime. The Michigan State Police assembled thousands of files about people believed to be involved in the anti-war movement.
MSU has been involved in its own discussion of these types of investigation procedures. In 2000, MSU police deployed an undercover officer to pose as a student within the campus group United Students Against Sweatshops, now known as Students for Economic Justice.
MSU officials have said police were investigating a specific individual suspected to be linked to the New Year’s Eve 1999 arson of Agriculture Hall and also cited safety issues related to the 2000 commencement address by World Bank President James Wolfensohn.
The revelation of the investigation helped lead to the formation of the Task Force on Student-Police Relations.
It’s very difficult striking a balance between respecting Americans’ personal liberties and working to prevent criminal activities. If terrorists strike again, the FBI could be criticized for inactivity, or the agency could be criticized silencing citizens’ speech in its effort to stop terrorists. But this balance is necessary to maintain.
Criticism of the handling of information regarding the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has proven that not only the collection of information is necessary, but also the proper utilization of any findings.
No matter the stated policy, the FBI must teach its agents to respect the freedoms of expression and assembly that can be too easily trampled as investigators pursue terrorist activities. Agents should not target groups or individuals without some reasonable belief they are or could be involved in illegal activities.
We hope that we will not have to take steps to protect ourselves from a government trying to protect us from terrorists. The days of secret files of innocent Americans should not return.
